DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Predicting the 53

I think we might look outside the roster for a few spots. This is what I think we will look like at final cuts

WR

Cooper
DPJ
Bell
Schwartz
Woods
Felton

TE

Njoku
Bryant
Forristal

RB

Chubb
Hunt
Johnson
Ford

QB

Brissett
Dobbs

O line

Wills
Bitonio
Polic
Teller
Conklin
Hubbard
Hudson
Dunn

D line

Garrett
Elliott
Bryan
Clowney
Wright
Thomas
Winfrey
Togiai

LB

JOK
Phillips
Takitaki
Walker
Fields

CB

Ward
Newsome
Williams
Emerson
Green

Safety

Johnson
Delpit
Harrison
Bell
LeCounte

Special Teams

York
Hughlett
Cody B.

Bubble guys

Stanton FB/TE
Winovich DE
Miller CB
Logan DT

I think Rochelle has a chance to make the roster as a DE and Allen at LB

I wonder if we try to upgrade the 3rd QB spot (Streveler from the Jets is intriguing and probably fits what we want to do with Dobbs)

I agree with most of your list. I think Isaac Rochell makes the team. LeCounte could be a goner. Still think either Hunt or Johnson is traded before the start of the season and that would open up a spot for Stefanski to keep a FB (Stanton).

Probably a toss up on who they keep when it comes to Bell, Herb Miller and LeCounte. It's fun to have a guy named Herb on the team.

I would say that Stanton is a near lock and that 8 isn’t enough guys in the offensive line.

Quite frankly the reason I went with eight is I couldn’t figure out who should be number 9. Maybe Hance?

I would say Hance. He’s played in games for the team and has been taking reps at center.

Agree on Hance. Also, Alex Taylor and Drew Forbes are possibilities to earn a spot.

Looks like a good list to me. Maybe Hance over Fields? Maybe Stanton makes it instead of Forrestal?

I'd personally prefer another corner, but that's just me.

Do we even have 6 WR worthy of keeping??

I had 6 corners (Miller as a bubble player making the team) and 5 safeties making it. I don’t think Logan makes it to the 1st game. Somebody will take his spot. I should have probably put Hance on as well since I only had 8 oline and that is a deep position group. I have Fields because of special teams but Allen might take his spot.
.

Not sure. I put Woods on this list because he was a draft pick that was lightning it up before the hammy.

Fenton didn’t play much in preseason but as of now I believe he is our kick, punt returner. Harley might be a surprise make.

Schwartz is a lock but I don’t think he is very good.

The last three I believe deserve roster spots

I wasn't critiquing your list at all. You did a way better job than I would have. I just like football talk and thought I would throw my less than $0.02 in. I think you did a really good job w/your list.

I know you weren’t. I just have been itching to talk about this team so I responded with some of my beliefs.
.

Critiques are welcomed by all. Made this for a discussion.

I expect it to be (barring a trade):

Cooper
DPJ
Schwartz
Bell
Woods
Felton

Possibly Woods starts the season on PUP and they give another guy a look.

WR group is a glaring weakness.

One of the reasons I think they’re not inclined to trade Hunt is his pass catching.

Woods has practiced with the team , and thus is not eligible for the PUP list. PUP is for guys who report injured, or otherwise unable to practice.

I suspect we'll be seeing a ton of 12 personnel, again.

He might have meant putting him on IR after final cuts

Yep. IR designated for return....if it should come to that. He has time to heal up still.

I heard there is an old adage that goes, You are only as good as your 3rd wide receiver.
( I heard that on a Chargers podcast so, it's not just me saying it.)

It's hard to say at receiver...has Woods done anything? I just don't know. I thought Harley has looked good. He seems to be able to catch.

I am not a big fullack guy, but Stanton can fill in as a 3rd TE/H-back player. I'd also say he could be an emergency QB having played the position in college. If we don't carry a 3rd QB, he might be an important player to keep.

I'd also say the bottom of the roster will be very fluid this year. I think we will have a keen eye on wide receivers/returners and interior D line players who are cut loose. I also expect to see us trade one of our running backs before the season starts. Make a choice between Hunt and DJ...extend one for 2-3 years, trade the other.

Or let them make the choice for us. Hand the same offer to both, the first to agree gets the job, the other is traded.

One thing about the "Final 53" is that it isn't final. Each year, teams get down to their final 53 and then claim a guy or three off of waivers and then cut guys to make room for the new guys. I always thought that it would have to be extra painful to think you made the team after the final cuts only to be dumped a day or two later for someone else who was cut by another team.

I think the first time I heard it was from Cris Collinsworth on a Sunday Night Football broadcast

I think the Covid 2020 year, and last year showed that, the Cutdown to 53 players is something that really lost its luster
because
SO MANY players cut from the 53 still made the teams from the practice s@uad, and
with the rotations of players onto things like the PS and the PUP, teams were really protecting about 58 or 59 players,
and even then
The amount of new signings and releases that happened or happens throughout the calendar
that may not have been as prevalent years ago
has made the Original 53 mean slightly less than it used to. ( I said slightly).

I keep hearing we have a lot of talent here and I agree. However, our WR group right now on paper is average at best. Hopefully some of our young guys will step up or we can trade or pick up a guy or 2. Many are saying what a good D we have. I'm inclined to agree but our interior DL is below average at this juncture. Again, maybe our young guys will step up or we can get another couple of guys after cuts. Not being able to control the line and have teams run on us is bad news. We've seen this before. I'm tempering my enthusiasm right now. I made a prediction of 6-8 wins and last place in the North. DW missing 11 games and the weaknesses I mentioned are the reason why.

That's the list I have too, with Rochell being the 5th DE plus Hance on the OL.

I’d say NO haha. It’s a really concerning group after Cooper. DPJ has been a good late round pick, but it’s a tall task asking him to be a #2 WR

This is one of the examples of why we will miss Watson so much while at the same time explains why we went after him despite all the trouble that came w/it. There are only a handful of qbs who can elevate those around them. They don't need superior talent around them. They don't need a great play call. They can make something out of nothing. They perform at a high level in pressure situations. Etc, etc.

Watson is one of those guys. Brissett is not.

Pete Smith from SI weighs in:


https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/browns-maven-features/predicting-the-browns-initial-53

Four bubble guys:


https://dawgpounddaily.com/2022/08/25/4-browns-roster-spot-week-3/

Agreed. Elite QBs raise the level of WRs so much

Offense: 25

-->OC), 1
55 C Ethan Pocic LSU
57 C Brock Hoffman Virginia Tech PS?

-->OG), 4
75 G Joel Bitonio Nevada
77 G Wyatt Teller Virginia Tech
62 G Blake Hance Northwestern
68 G Michael Dunn Maryland
79 G Drew Forbes Southeast Missouri State PS?
72 G Hjalte Froholdt Arkansas PS?
60 G David Moore Grambling State PS?

-->OT), 4
78 T Jack Conklin Michigan State
71 T Jedrick Wills Jr. Alabama
74 T Chris Hubbard Alabama-Birmingham
66 T James Hudson III Cincinnati
70 Alex Taylor South Carolina State PS?
67 T Ben Petrula Boston College PS?

-->RB), 4-5*
24 RB Nick Chubb Georgia
27 RB Kareem Hunt Toledo 
30 RB D'Ernest Johnson South Florida
34 RB Jerome Ford Cincinnati
25 RB Demetric Felton Jr. UCLA
41 RB John Kelly Jr. Tennessee PS?

FB/TE), 1
40 Johnny Stanton Nevada-Las Vegas PS?

-->TE), 3*-4
88 TE Harrison Bryant Florida Atlantic
85 TE David Njoku Miami (Fla.)
86 TE Miller Forristall Alabama PS?
81 TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden PS?
89 TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart Pittsburgh PS?

-->QB), 2
4 QB Deshaun Watson Clemson
**When available
7 QB Jacoby Brissett N.C. State
15 QB Joshua Dobbs Tennessee
19 Josh Rosen UCLA PS?

-->WR), 5*-6
2 WR Amari Cooper Alabama
18 WR David Bell Purdue
11 WR Donovan Peoples-Jones Michigan
12 WR Michael Woods II Oklahoma
10 WR Anthony Schwartz Auburn
82 WR Mike Harley Jr. Miami PS?
17 WR Daylen Baldwin Michigan PS?
16 WR Javon Wims Georgia PS?

<>

Defense: 25

-->CB), 5-6*
21 CB Denzel Ward Ohio State
20 CB Greg Newsome II Northwestern
26 CB Greedy Williams LSU
23 CB Martin Emerson Jr. Mississippi State
38 CB A.J. Green Oklahoma State
29 CB Herb Miller Florida Atlantic 
49 CB Shaun Jolly Appalachian State PS?
35 CB Levert Hill Michigan PS?

-->DE), 4-5*
90 DE Jadeveon Clowney South Carolina
95 DE Myles Garrett Texas A&M
94 DE Alex Wright UAB
58 DE Isaiah Thomas Oklahoma
98 DE Isaac Rochell Notre Dame
69 DE Chase Winovich Michigan PS?
61 DE Chris Odom Arkansas State PS?
59 DE Curtis Weaver Boise State PS?

-->DT), 4*-5
96 DT Jordan Elliott  Missouri
99 DT Taven Bryan Florida
97 DT Perrion Winfrey Oklahoma
93 DT Tommy Togiai Ohio State?
94 DT Roderick Perry II PS?
63 DT Glen Logan LSU PS?

-->LB), *5-6
28 LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame
50 LB Jacob Phillips LSU
44 LB Sione Takitaki BYU
5 LB Anthony Walker Jr. Northwestern
42 LB Tony Fields II West Virginia
56 Dakota Allen Texas Tech PS?
54 LB Willie Harvey Jr. Iowa State PS?
51 LB Jordan Kunaszyk California PS?

-->SAF), 4-5*
22 SS Grant Delpit LSU
43 FS John Johnson III Boston
33 SS Ronnie Harrison Jr. Alabama
39 FS Richard LeCounte III Georgia
37 SS D'Anthony Bell  West Florida
41 S Jonathan Moffitt Middle Tennessee State PS?

<>

-->ST), 3
13 P Corey Bojorquez New Mexico
47 LS Charley Hughlett Central Florida
3 K Cade York LSU

I get sick every time I look at our DTs.

That seems to be the consensus to all but the Coaches and the FO.

Reminds me of a couple of seasons ago with our then Safety room ... I hope things turn out more favorable with our DT position then with that group.

Lol honestly same here

I wonder if Thomas pans out the way I think he might, if we would put him on one Edge and either Myles or Clowney on the other and then shift the remaining guy inside on passing downs?

From what I keep reading, I think they would do that with Thomas and Wright.

Alex Wrights lone sack this preseason came from DT iirc...